Battery aircraft integration

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aircraft, comprising a fuselage, at least one pair of wings and a battery system for providing power to electrical systems of the aircraft, wherein the battery system comprises at least one battery pack, each battery pack comprises a number of individual battery modules, which are directly or indirectly coupled to one another, and the at least one battery pack is disposed between an inner structural wall defining an interior space of the fuselage and an outer fairing wall of the fuselage. The fuselage is provided with a rack mounting mechanism comprising a number of mounting brackets, each for exchangeably mounting one of the battery modules to the aircraft, and each of the battery packs is a virtual battery pack, which is obtained by electrically connecting a predetermined number of the battery modules.

1 . An aircraft, comprising a fuselage, at least one pair of wings and a battery system for providing power to electrical systems of the aircraft, wherein
 the battery system comprises at least one battery pack,   each battery pack comprises a number of individual battery modules, which are directly or indirectly coupled to one another, and   the at least one battery pack is disposed between an inner structural wall defining an interior space of the fuselage and an outer fairing wall of the fuselage.   
     
     
         2 . The aircraft according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the fuselage comprises the outer fairing wall enclosing the fuselage and the interior space formed within the fuselage, wherein the interior space is defined by:   at a bottom portion thereof, a bottom plate at which a plurality of aircraft seats are mounted, the bottom plate limiting the interior space of the fuselage downwards and defining a bottom plane (P) substantially parallel to a wing plane (XY) of the aircraft, and   at side and upper portions thereof, the inner structural wall limiting the interior space of the fuselage laterally and upwards, and wherein
 the at least one battery pack, in a direction (Z) orthogonal to the bottom plane (P), is at least partially disposed at a height above the bottom plate. 
   
     
     
         3 . The aircraft according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the battery system comprises at least two battery packs, and wherein,   with respect to a longitudinal axis (L) of the aircraft, on either side of the fuselage, at least one of the battery packs is disposed between the inner structural wall of the fuselage and the outer fairing wall of the fuselage.   
     
     
         4 . The aircraft according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the battery system comprises a plurality of battery packs, said plurality of battery packs being divided into two groups of battery packs, and wherein,   with respect to a longitudinal axis (L) of the aircraft, on either side of the fuselage, one of the two groups of battery packs is disposed between the inner structural wall of the fuselage and the outer fairing wall of the fuselage.   
     
     
         5 . The aircraft according to  claim 1 , comprising a fuselage, at least one pair of wings and a battery system for providing power to electrical systems of the aircraft, wherein
 the battery system comprises at least one battery pack,   each battery pack comprises a number of individual battery modules, which are directly or indirectly coupled to one another, and   the fuselage is provided with a rack mounting mechanism comprising a number of mounting brackets, each for exchangeably mounting one of the battery modules to the aircraft.   
     
     
         6 . The aircraft according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the battery system further comprises a thermal management system circulating a heat transfer fluid through the battery modules,   wherein at least one of the battery modules comprises at least one hollow bolt constituting an inlet to or an outlet from an internal channel system of the corresponding battery module for heat transfer fluid within the corresponding battery module via an internal channel of the hollow bolt,   wherein the thermal management system comprises at least one hollow stud configured to supply or receive the heat transfer fluid to or from the correspond battery module via an internal channel of the hollow stud,   wherein the internal channel of the hollow stud is configured to be connected to the internal channel of the hollow bolt, and   wherein the internal channel of the hollow stud comprises a first channel portion substantially extending in a direction of extension (S) of the hollow stud and a second channel portion adjacent to the first channel portion and extending in a direction (B) different from the direction of extension (S) of the hollow stud in a direction (B) inclined at approximately 90° with respect to the direction of extension (S) of the hollow stud and/or parallel to the direction of extension (B) of the hollow bolt,   and/or   wherein the internal channel of the hollow bolt comprises a first channel portion substantially extending in a direction of extension of the hollow bolt and a second channel portion adjacent to the first channel portion and extending in a direction different from the direction of extension of the hollow bolt in a direction inclined at approximately 90° with respect to the direction of extension of the hollow bolt and/or parallel to the direction of extension of the hollow stud.   
     
     
         7 . The aircraft according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein at least one of the battery modules comprises first and second hollow bolts, each having an annular connector portion at an end portion facing away from the corresponding battery module, the first hollow bolt constituting an inlet to the internal channel system of the corresponding battery module and the second hollow bolt ( 136 ) constituting an outlet from the internal channel system of the corresponding battery module via internal channels of the first and second hollow bolts, respectively,   wherein the thermal management system comprises first and second hollow studs, each hollow stud having an internal channel, which comprises a first channel portion substantially extending in a direction of extension (S) of the hollow stud and a second channel portion adjacent to the first channel portion and extending towards the battery module in a direction (B) different from the direction of extension (S) of the hollow stud in a direction (B) inclined at approximately 90° with respect to the direction of extension (S) of the hollow stud, and   wherein end portions of the first and second hollow studs are configured to be received in the annular connector portions of the first and second hollow bolts, respectively, such as to connect the internal channels of the first and second hollow studs to the internal channels of the first and second hollow bolts, respectively.   
     
     
         8 . The aircraft according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the rack mounting mechanism comprises at least one mounting frame ( 140   a ,  140   b ) associated to the fuselage, and   at least one of the battery modules further comprises at least one slider portion slidably engaging at least one complementary slider seating provided at the mounting frame of the rack mounting mechanism, to allow a sliding motion of the battery module along a direction of extension of the mounting frame of the rack mounting mechanism.   
     
     
         9 . The aircraft according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the rack mounting mechanism comprises at least one mounting frame ( 140   a ,  140   b ) associated to the fuselage, and   at least one of the battery modules further comprises at least one blind connector configured to fix in place the at least one battery module at the rack mounting mechanism.   
     
     
         10 . The aircraft according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the battery system further comprises a thermal management system circulating a heat transfer fluid through the battery modules,   at least several battery modules, comprise a fluid inlet connector and a fluid outlet connector connected to an internal channel system of the corresponding battery module for heat transfer fluid within the corresponding battery module and adapted to being connected to the thermal management system, and   at least several mounting brackets comprise counterpart connectors for the fluid inlet and outlet of the corresponding battery module, respectively.   
     
     
         11 . The aircraft according to  claim 1 , comprising a fuselage, at least one pair of wings and a battery system for providing power to electrical systems of the aircraft, wherein:
 the battery system comprises at least one battery pack,   each of the battery packs comprises a number of individual battery modules, which are directly or indirectly coupled to one another, and   each of the battery packs is a virtual battery pack, which is obtained by electrically connecting a predetermined number of the battery modules.   
     
     
         12 . The aircraft according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the battery modules of each of the battery packs are electrically connected in series by bus bars facing towards an outside of the aircraft.   
     
     
         13 . The aircraft according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the battery modules is individually secured to the fuselage of the aircraft at a certain mounting position.   
     
     
         14 . The aircraft according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the fuselage is provided with a number of said mounting positions, each for interchangeably holding one of the battery modules, the number of mounting positions being larger than the number of battery modules such that, in a mounted state of all battery modules, at least one of the mounting positions remains vacant.   
     
     
         15 . The aircraft according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the aircraft is of the electrical propulsion type.   
     
     
         16 . The aircraft according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the aircraft is an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.